John Astin Net Worth

John Astin's Quotes

• [on filming The Addams Family (1964)] Sometimes it was tough doing take after take upside down! I did a lot of that sort of thing.
• I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are.
• I get into certain yoga positions at times, when I'm working out and for exercises. I use a little of it in some of my meditation, but I chant now and that sort of replaced it.
• Poe was a student of many things, and among those things he read and referred to in his work was the Bible.
• People are transported to that space that Poe wanted to make available to us.

Interesting Facts about John Astin

1. His father, Dr. Allen Varley Astin, was the fifth Director of the National Bureau of Standards.
2. Has a son with Patty Duke: Mackenzie Astin; also adopted Sean Astin, Duke's son, when he was 3 years old. Has three sons with Suzanne Hahn: David Aston, Allen J. Astin (born March 23, 1961) and Thomas E. Astin (born March 19, 1965).
3. He and his wife Valerie are leaders of a Buddhist group in Santa Monica, California.
4. Grandfather of actress Ali Astin, Elizabeth Louise Astin, Isabella Louise Astin, Sedona Astin and Jaya Astin.
5. Has appeared in three separate episodes of Night Gallery (1969). During each episode, his character was killed, and during two episodes, his character found himself in Hell. Also directed three episodes of the show.
6. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 31-32. New York: Facts on File (1992). ISBN 0816023387.
7. Three generations of his family have worked with director Peter Jackson. He appeared in The Frighteners (1996), while his son Sean Astin appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sean's real-life daughter, Ali Astin, played the daughter of his character in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
8. Is a visiting theater professor at Johns Hopkins University. His new facility is the "Old Barn", former home of Theater Hopkins, a top-scale community theater outfit. Astin won rave reviews for his portrayal of the Stage Manager in a performance of "Our Town" with Hopkins as well as for a recent portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe.
9. Has twice played father to Jodie Foster. They appeared together as father and daughter in the Disney comedy Dolle dwaze vrijdag (1976). On the live-action sitcom The Addams Family (1964), John plays Gomez Addams. On an animated series in the early 1970s, Jodie voiced Pugsley Addams.
10. Three generations of his family have worked with Christopher Lee. His son, Sean Astin, and granddaughter, Ali Astin, appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). He and Lee appeared together in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).
11. He and his son Sean have both appeared in films that won Best Picture, four decades apart. John had a small role in West Side Story (1961), while Sean had a lead role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
12. Attended Washington and Jefferson College, graduated from Johns Hopkins University and did graduate work at the University of Minnesota.
13. Brother of Alexander W. Astin, professor emeritus at UCLA who is considered one of the most influential scholars in the field of higher education research.
14. Best remembered by the public for his starring role as Gomez Addams on The Addams Family (1964).
15. During a speech given at Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, he told the crowd of students that he never has, and never will watch any of the new Addams Family films. He did not give his reasons why.
16. Is a huge fan of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and studies Poe's works extensively. He has regularly attended Baltimore's yearly celebration of Poe's birthday.
17. Son Sean Astin is not his biological child. He is ex-wife Patty Duke's son with her ex-husband Michael Tell. Duke claimed Sean's biological father was John Astin until the two blood-tested in 1990 and this became clear that Tell was the father.
18. He along with Felix Silla (Cousin Itt) and Lisa Loring (Wednesday) are the surviving cast members of The Addams Family (1964).
19. He is one of only five actors to have have played "Special Guest Villains" on Batman (1966) who are still alive, the others being Julie Newmar, Joan Collins, Glynis Johns and Barbara Rush. Of these, he is the only male.
20. Has been involved with more productions of "The Addams Family" than any other actor in history. From playing the family patriarch, Gomez Addams, On The Addams Family (1964), Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and The Addams Family (1992); the grandfather On The New Addams Family (1998); and even in a way, himself who loves and will always be associated with "The Addams Family", in films with spoofs like Il silenzio dei prosciutti (1994).